The present invention relates to an electrode probe for measuring the concentration of analyte contained in a trace amount of body fluid and a body fluid examination equipment for measuring the concentration of analyte contained in body fluids leaking on the skin surface.
Normally, patients with diabetes are forced to measure their sugar blood level 3 to 7 times a day for controlling their blood sugar level. At measurement, although small in amount, bleeding from the finger or the like which accompanies pain is inevitable. Therefore, a measurement method of blood sugar level with less pain has been desired.
Conventionally known method for measuring blood sugar level damages the skin using a body fluid leaking instrument, for example, lancet, supplies the leaking blood from the damaged site to a recess formed on a sensor strip, and obtains information on the blood sugar output from 2 electrodes disposed in the recess (see Japanese Laid-Open Patent Publication No. Hei 9-2651278, for example).
However, any commercially available sensor strip for measuring blood sugar has a problem that it normally requires 3 .mu.l to 10 .mu.l blood. If blood sugar can be measured with less than 3 .mu.l blood, the damage made on the skin for sampling blood can be more superficial than the current level thereby reducing the pain associated with bleeding.